Mac Rating: 5.00 | Votes: 1 | Date: 03/07/2026 01:11:00

The building spent its first 70 years keeping secrets - it was built as a Masonic lodge - and now spends its nights doing the opposite, at volume. The Hawthorne Theatre, at 1507 SE 39th Avenue (Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard) at Hawthorne Boulevard in Southeast Portland, is one of the city's essential mid-size rock rooms, operating since 2005 inside the 1919-vintage Sunnyside Masonic Temple. The lodge's second life was eclectic before it was loud: the decades after the Masons departed brought the Blarney Stone and Conan's pubs, the Arista Ballroom, Benny's Comedy Club, the Lucky Strike restaurant, an art gallery and a record shop. In 2005 the theatre and its attached lounge opened, converting the old lodge hall - stage at one end, wrap-around balcony bones still visible - into a venue holding around 600. The booking identity is unambiguous: metal, punk, hardcore, emo and hip-hop dominate a calendar that runs five to seven nights a week, with promoter Mammoth NW driving much of the schedule. Corrosion of Conformity, Save Ferris and an endless stream of heavy touring packages share the room with all-ages shows - a critical function, as the theatre is one of Portland's few mid-size rooms that regularly opens its floor to under-21 crowds. The attached Hawthorne Lounge operates as the venue's small room and bar, hosting local bills, karaoke and pre-show crowds at around 100 capacity, while the main hall's no-frills setup - open floor, small riser seating, bar at the back - keeps the focus where the bookings point it. Practical notes: the venue anchors the western end of the Hawthorne District's bar-and-vintage strip, bus lines 14 and 75 stop at the corner, and street parking is workable outside weekend peaks. Main-room shows split between all-ages and 21-plus - check each listing - and earplugs are a sincere recommendation.